


rex.

by magicopal



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Italian OC, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Talon - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:56:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27187600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magicopal/pseuds/magicopal
Summary: Juno Markus was born to lead and make change. Being an Italian senator at only 29, a lot was put on her plate. It was always her dream to be making such a difference.Until she met Giovani Russo. He destroyed her. Opened her eyes up to corrupt dealings between the government and Talon.And after his abrupt murder, Overwatch suddenly has an traumatized ex-Senator on their hands.
Relationships: Genji Shimada/Original Character(s), Genji Shimada/Reader, Jesse McCree/Original Character(s), Jesse McCree/Reader, Overwatch Ensemble/Reader, Reaper | Gabriel Reyes/Original Character(s), Reaper | Gabriel Reyes/Reader
Kudos: 14





	1. stress

**Author's Note:**

> !!!!!!!!!!!!!PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE READ THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
> BEFORE YOU READ:  
> This story does revolve a lot around the traumatic experience that comes with being raped. I will never write the act of what happened in graphic detail, but there's going to be a lot of talk about it, including flashbacks. If that triggers you, I advise you not to read. Please take care of yourself first and foremost.

When one writes a story: where do you start? There were many beginnings to Juno's life, it was hard to pick one. 

All beginnings were the end of something 

Perhaps, the catalyst that started it all. The destruction of her entire psyche. The ruins of an empire left to starve and suffer. The event that reduced her to ash and the husk of a human.

The rape. Of both her body and her mind.

"Senator Juno Markus. Accused of premeditated murder of Senator Giovani Russo." A voice spoke up, dragging her out of her conscious, slow and burdensome. She blinked at the harsh light, body sluggish.

It took her a few moments to understand what was being said to her. "...Yes." She responded, her tongue feeling heavy and accented in front of the American man. 

Without her glasses, she couldn't get a good look at him, so she only stared at his blurry figure. His skin was dark-that she could tell, and he wore all dark clothes. She imagined he had either a quite angry look on his face, or it was completely neutral. 

"And what are you saying yes to?" He asked, voice gruff and sardonic. While she couldn't see him, his voice was something to be fearful of. No doubt from the military. It had that kind of power. She felt her heart start to race and a queasy feeling swarm in her stomach. Anxiety. Why was he so close to her? What was he asking again?

"I killed him." She said, staring in front of her.

"Saying things like that is dangerous, without a lawyer, Senator Markus."

"Are you going to give me a lawyer?" She asked, almost surprised.

He scoffed. "Hell no. This is Overwatch, Senator."

Her heart dropped to the floor.

\---

Juno Markus has always been an anxious person by nature. Unable to sit stationary-one leg always bouncing, cracking her fingers, adjusting her clothing, playing with her hair. Her heart would thud deeply in her chest and her stomach would churn with scenarios that would run in her mind. It was something she simply grew up with, something she got used to. She would cancel entire plans so she could get her heart to stop racing. 

As she got older, she learned to steer this anxious energy into something powerful. A politician. A civil rights activist. A voice for the people. A leader. 

It was strange. It wasn't the speeches that ever scared her. She could get on a stage and see thousands of faces staring at her, judging and anticipating, and be able to speak with syntax and ideas that empowered. No, she never had issues when she held speeches-she was good at them. It was the anticipation before. The time where her mind told her anything could happen, and she was left waiting as the clock seemed to tick slower and slower.

So, as she stood in front of the set of large wooden doors, her mind raced and the back of her neck broke into a sweat.

Juno had won. The people had voted for her and she had won a spot in the Senate. It was her rightful spot. She would make a difference. She already had. But now, it was official. She could control bills and laws-for her own nations benefit. 

It was a blessing.

"Hello, it's Mrs. Markus, correct?" A voice spoke up from behind her and she jerked and whirled around.

"Oh, Senator Russo!" She said, a bit shocked. "Yes, yes it's a pleasure to meet you!"

He extended a hand for her to shake and she took it. He smiled at her-a charming smile. All his teeth were straight and sparkled white. Though she was entranced back then, now she would've likened it to a shark. Sharp, sinister. 

"Of course." He responded. "Nervous for your first day?" He asked, almost like a parent asking their kids about their first day of school.

"I've been waiting for this moment for a while, Senator Russo." She responded, smiling. "I was just gathering myself before I entered the room."

"We don't bite." He joked. "Hard."

Her eyes furrowed a bit, but she continued to smile. This was not how she envisioned this going. Her interns and coworkers told her that it would be a little more professional than this-that anyone had the potential to be an enemy or an ally. But, at the end of the day, they were merely coworkers and they must keep it that way. But, it was important to recognize the political divisions and parties, because many of the men and women there had an agenda that was against hers.

He was friendly, which she took no grievance to.

Before she was actually ready, which she wondered if she ever really would be, he opened both of the doors at the same time in a dramatic motion, leaving her open and defenseless to the entire chamber.

Only a few people glanced up. She could recall all their names already, having prepared for this moment in which she would have to introduce herself to them. Most of them had been reelected from the years prior. They were liked, presumably. Liked enough to be voted for another time. 

She had spent much of that first day shaking the hands of fellow senators, congratulating and accepting congratulations. Giovani never strayed far, but he spent much of his own time shaking hands as well.

\---

She was unsure how long she had been in that holding cell after the man had left. He had left her shaking, thoughts running through her head. Everything seemed too slow, and she didn't even feel in her body anymore-just a phantom floating outside of it.

So, when a shadow of a person crossed in front of her, she desperately fought to bring herself back to earth. She felt untethered, was she even connected to her body at this point? It wasn't until a hand was laid out on her own, she groaned lowly and rolled her head back. "Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop…" She muttered, as if in pain.

The touch retracted, and Juno found herself breathing heavily, heaving as if she ran a marathon. She gagged and choked, before breaking out into heaving sobs. "What? What, what, what, what, what..." She mumbled hysterically.

"We have to make sure you're alright." The voice spoke. Feminine, yet low. Irish. "Medical tests."

"Medical…" She gasped through her tears, trying to curl in on herself. She jerked away from the woman, looking at her, even though it made her eyes hurt. The woman in front of Juno was brighter than the man she saw previously, skin sickly white and hair an almost unnatural orange-red color. 

"Yes, medical." She responded, tone dry. Unamused.

Juno let her do whatever she wanted to her. She opened herself up to her, let her take anything she wanted. Let her prod at her skin, test her reflexes and take blood. Even as she began to tremble, the doctor seemed to take her time. She was thorough, her hands steady. The pain of taking blood hardly registered, and when the doctors cold hands touched her open skin, she would subconsciously jerk. Juno couldn't tell you what she did to her, simply sitting stere entirely motionless, letting tears trail down her face.

When she got close enough to Juno, she saw that her eyes were two different colors. Unique. But, the doctor made eye contact with her moments later causing Juno to subvert her gaze.

Then, she was gone.

Juno didn't want to be alone. Not with her thoughts. Not with herself.

She screamed, wanting to claw at her hair and skin, but her arms were restrained behind herself. She tugged at them desperately, sobbing to the open air. Then, she slumped forward, crying to herself.

She didn't regret the murder one bit, Juno Markus told herself.

So, let's start at the beginning of an end.


	2. like a bad dog

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juno gets taken to Dr. Nguyen. Things don't go too well.

The new room they had transported her to was far different than the first holding cell. This one was clearly not meant to be temporary, something about it was more permanent and restrictive. The last room, when someone would walk in she could see the smallest sliver of the outside world. She could see shadows of people pass under the crack of the door.

This new room was separate. It was smaller, darker, even though there was an actual window to the outside. She, at first, didn't think that organizations like Overwatch had prisons like this. She assumed that they put their prisoners in actual prisons, with other prisoners. She had also assumed that whatever Overwatch dealt with was a little more over her head than she thought.

She sat on the hard gray bed and let herself relax a little. Yes, that camera in the corner was blinking, no doubt recording her. Yes, this was prison. Yes, she had committed a crime. One that she was presumably going to be tried for. Did Overwatch believe in the death penalty? 

She rubbed the linen blanket between her fingers 

Cheap.

Then, sounded the noise of the inner workings of a locked door being unlocked. In walked the man she had seen a few days ago, she guessed. She still hadn't gotten her glasses back yet. He was just as imposing as the last time she saw him. Quite tall. Like a shadow.

However, this time he was followed by another man, who wore a hat that obstructed the view of his face. Cowboy hat? Fedora? Sun hat? She had no clue.

She stared at them vacantly. What do you look at when you can't even see?

“Senator Juno Markus,” The first man spoke, gesturing to the open door. “You’ll be seeing a psychiatrist every other day until deemed otherwise. We’ll be the one to take you to them.” He spoke, voice gruff. She let it not get to her “Why?” She asked, tone quiet. Her stomach swam.

“‘Cause you murdered a senator, ma’am.” The other man spoke up, his accent thick, though, not like hers. She had never met anyone with an American southern accent before. “It’s protocol.” 

Juno blinked, but did not answer. Instead, she stood up, and put both of her hands forward, urging them to cuff her. 

The walk there wasn’t bad, but she kept her head down and out of the way. One man walked in front of her, while the other walked behind. She ignored how it felt like they were watching her every move-how close they seemed to her. She told herself to ignore them, but the way her fingers seemed to buzz and the way her heart began to beat told her that it was actually quite the opposite. Hypervigilant. Waiting.

They had left her in the hands of Dr. Nguyen who was seemingly nice and respectful, but something itched under her skin as she met him. The back of her mind screamed as he smiled at her, showing a straight white smile and even from her distance across the table it was familiar. Too much like Giovani, she told herself. She wanted to run far from the doctor, but instead her handcuffs were chained to the table and she was forced to sit across from him, staring, waiting.

"Senator Juno Markus, I believe?" He asked, as if he didn't know. She nodded slowly.

"I'd like to introduce myself. Dr. Nguyen. You can call me Dr. N." He said, crossing his arms on the table and leaning forward. He smiled, this time without teeth. Her body began to tremble. He must've noticed, because he raised an eyebrow, curious. 

"Are you nervous, Ms. Markus?" He asked.

"No." She responded, obviously a lie.

"There's no need to be. All of this will be confidential-just between you and I."

"Who do you think you're convincing with that lie?" She bluntly said.

He kept the pleasant smile on his face, but she watched as the corner of his mouth twitched in irritation or just failed to keep up the facade-she didn't know. Regardless, he kept a professional atmosphere, the corner of his eyes tightening.

The camera in the corner blinked. 

"Well before we get into the deep things, I would like to ask you some questions." He said, pulling out his holopad. He typed some things in, before looking back up. "Does your family have any history with mental illnesses or mood disorders-depression, schizophrenia, anxiety, OCD, BPD, sociopathy...?" He asked.

She stared at him.

"I need you to answer, Senator."

She visibly slumped forward, "I don't want to."

It was childish. She killed someone and now she was acting like a child. She almost scoffed. What was wrong with her? What happened between before all of this and now? God, she used to be respected, admired even, and now here she was, sitting chained to a table and being asked if she was messed up in the head.

Then, came the feeling of anxiety again. The heart throbbing, gut wrenching feeling of pure fear in her stomach that coiled itself around her abdomen and squeezed, begging for blood and punishment. She bit her cheek, tasting metal. She wanted out.

But where would she go? Oh, no one would want her after everything that happened. Her father had died when she was young, simply a result of the omnic wars, and her mother was no doubt dead at this point. The people that Giovani knew were not the kind to let her get away unpunished. With that being said, she was sure her campaign assistants and managers were either long dead or running from her and the world she had destroyed. She fucked it up so bad.

She let out a pained noise.

"Senator, I need you to answer the question, please." He said, with the same calm tone as before, but more demanding.

“I don’t know.” She barely said, barely able to move her mouth to utter the syllables.

“Are you alright, Senator?” He asked.

She frowned, lifting her head up slowly. Tears began to fill her eyes. “Why do you keep calling me that?” 

“Is it not your name?” 

She blinked a couple times. “No.” She swallowed. “I don't think it is anymore.”

He hummed and wrote a few things down on his pad. “And what do you want to be called?”

She didn’t answer. 

Dr. Nguyen sighed and took his glasses off. He crossed his arms across the table between them. It jostled her cuffs and made a shudder run up her spine. “I understand the trauma you’re going through, but we need to work together. I’m here to help you.”

She sucked in a breath through dry lips.

\---

“I’m here to help you.” The woman before her smiled. She was young, no doubt in one of her first years of college, and she wore a bright smile with a very striking shade of red lipstick. She held a holopad in one hand, and stuck her other hand out to shake. “My name’s Lisa Lombardi. I’m an intern for the Senate.” 

Juno grinned, grasping her hand and shaking it. “Bello! It’s good to have someone to help me around.” 

Lisa blushed, but the smile never fell off her face. “Yes! This is my first year here too.”

“I’m sure you’ll do a wonderful job, Lisa.” Juno said earnestly. 

Lisa opened her mouth to speak, but immediately shut it once she eyed something behind Juno.

It had only been a month or so since the beginning of the new term. Not much had been done-more work was focused on getting adjusted and preparing for the upcoming plans and discussions they would be having. However, today would be the first day in chamber with everyone together.

During that first month, Juno had spent much of her time around Giovani. It was strange at first-being so close to someone despite knowing so little about them. She also wasn't sure what she saw in him. Maybe an ally? He was in the same party as her, after all. But, his closeness was not unwarranted. Her campaign manager was explaining to her the importance of not being ostracized, so she chose to accept his companionship.

Speaking of him, he stood behind Juno, a hand in one of his pockets. 

Juno blinked, taking a step to the side to create some distance between them. “Senator Russo, It’s nice to see you. Are you doing well?” She asked politely. 

“You know it Juno!” He laughed, like it was some sort of inside joke. She laughed too. Was it? “Actually, I was coming over to ask you if you wanted to attend a dinner with me and some of the other Senators-to celebrate the first senate session.”

Rose colored glasses. That’s what she’d call it. But back then, she saw this at the perfect opportunity to establish herself as the young and ambitious Senator that she was. It was as if the stars had aligned. 

“Yes! Yes, that would actually be really nice.” She said, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. 

Giovani smiled that charming smile and nodded, “I’ll share the details after everything is done, okay? Ciao. ”

“Okay! Ciao!” She said, a little too eager. He was already walking away before she could say anything more to embarrass herself. 

Juno turned her attention back to Lisa who looked star struck. She couldn’t stop herself from laughing. 

Lisa blushed again. Or maybe she was just that red permanently. 

“Was that Senator Russo!?” Lisa asked, almost yelled.

Juno widened her eyes. “Don't say it so loud!” She said, a little panicked, but brushed it off with another laugh.

Lisa fumbled with her holopad. “Sorry, sorry, that’s unprofessional. It’s just-you know what everyone says about him…” She trailed off. “It’s way more true in person.”

It was true. He was known for his handsome looks and charisma. Being a senator in this day and age, having someone young and pretty like him got a lot done. He was popular. Easy as that. And yes, Juno had seen the forums online talking about Senator Russo. 

You’d think girls only cared about boy groups, but it seemed like that wasn’t the case. Political figures were also part of the group.

It was hours after the senate was out, and Juno had redressed into something more fitting for a dinner. A plum colored dress that accentuated her figure like any dress should, with long sleeves and high neckline. It was still winter, after-all. It was modest and business professional. 

The address of the restaurant that Giovanni texted her was high class. She had never been there before, but from the lighting inside and the cars parked outside she knew it was pricey. She bit her lip.

Giovani was waiting for her at the door when she walked in, which saved her the embarrassment of waiting or asking where they were seated. 

“Ah, Juno!” He said, making her stop in her tracks. When were they on a first name basis like that? Did he really view her as a friend like that? Were they closer than she thought? Was she overthinking?

God, who was she kidding, she always overthought.

“Senator Russo.” She instead said, keeping herself at an arm's length just in case. His face fell a bit, but he said nothing, just offered an arm for her to loop through and began to guide her away.

He led her to a reserved room in the back of the building, and on the way there they passed by others, dressed to the nines, sharing wine that probably cost more than her salary and eating cheeses probably older than her grandparents. She wasn’t used to this. He must’ve saw that she was eyeing everything, so he spoke up.

“Don’t worry about paying it by the way, our client will do everything.” He mentioned offhandedly, unlinking their arms and opening up a door for her and gesturing her through.

That made her tilt her head. “Client?” She asked, walking through.

“Ah! Miss Markus.” Someone unfamiliar spoke up. She whipped her head around from Giovani to the new voice, and in front of her stood a rather large man-not fat, per say, just muscular and threatening. “It’s nice to meet you! The other senators have mentioned a lot about you.” 

Juno blinked, her heart beginning to race a little quicker than normal. “All good things I presume?” She laughed.

“Of course! Must I say, congratulations to being such a young senator for Italy!” He congratulated her, taking her hand in her grasp and kissing it like many Italians would.

She smiled, a little proud. “Why, thank you so much. Though, I’m sorry if this is rude- but I never got a name…?” 

“Antonio Baralotti, at your service, miss.”

\---

She hadn’t even realized that she stopped speaking to Dr. Nguyen until she was being ushered out of the room by people she didn’t even recognize. Their grips were rough, and she stumbled over her feet, confused why they were so hurried to get her out of the office.

“What? What? What’s going on?” She asked, frantically looking back to the door. “Did I do something? What did I do? What? Please!” She hysterically began to say, struggling against them. “Please! I didn’t mean it! I don't know what I did!” 

“Stop resisting!” One of them said, huffing as he tried to maintain his grip on her. “Keep walking!”

“Please! Just tell me what I did wrong! Per favore aiutatemi!” She cried, nearly screaming.

One of the guards gripped harder, “Stop screaming!” 

“Please!” She sobbed, dragging her arms along the walls to prevent herself from going any further. “Non lo intendevo!” 

“Someone sedate her before she hurts someone or herself!” Someone shouted, followed by a prick in her upper arm. She screamed, although it didn’t hurt, and found herself staring at a dart, which she promptly ripped out-but it seemed a few seconds too late. The world began to tilt and was gone before she hit the ground.

\---

“You heard her, Jack! She said Antonio Baralotti! There’s no way that's a coincidence! Something isn’t lining up here, and you’re too afraid to admit it.” Gabriel Reyes argued, shouting.

Jack Morrison rubbed his head. “It could be a coincidence though! He’s a ‘businessman’-what if he knew the senators? Simple as that.”

“He was at that party when Russo died. Either she’s part of Talon and killed Russo and got caught in the act, or something else is going on that we don't even know.” Reyes said, turning from Morrison, thinking so hard that if the room was any colder steam would surely be rolling off his head. “No one dies coincidently! Especially not in this line of work.”

“You’re making a lot of bold assumptions, Gabe.” Jack said.

Reyes whirled around and was about to give him a piece of his mind before a knock sounded on the door, and Jack quickly let out a ‘come in!’. Such a typical way for Jack to get out of an argument. Reyes gave him a look that told him ‘this wasn’t over’.

In walked Gerard Lacroix. Both men perked up, their argument completely thrown off the table, interested in the Talon specialist.

“Morrison, I think you need to soundproof your office a bit more.” He spoke, placing down his holopad. “You’d be surprised at the things I can hear, tu sais.” He chuckled.

Morrison rolled his eyes. 

“Enfin, I came to speak about more important things, so it’s good that Commander Reyes is also here.” He said, clicking a few things on his holopad, which made the lights in the room grow darker, before holograms began to become projected before them. 

It was a photograph. Actually, it was multiple. Each one, taken in different places, presumably from CCTV cameras, at different angles. And each one had Antonio Baralotti, Giovani Russo, and of course-Juno Markus. There were a few other senators that had also popped up in different parts. They all were near each other, quite obviously discussing things. Some of the photos showed the groups exchanging items-mostly briefcases. This raised alarm in both the commander's minds. 

“There is definitely something going on. Juno Markus may be a little more dangerous than we thought-either a Talon assassin, or someone with a very large target on their back.” Gerard explained. "Which one-Je ne sais pas."

Reyes shot Morrison a look, who refused to meet eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave kudos and comments! they really help ! <3 
> 
> hope yall enjoy the story!
> 
> translate:  
> bello!=cool!  
> ciao=bye/hello  
> Per favore aiutatemi=please help me  
> Non lo intendevo=i didnt mean to  
> tu sais= you know  
> enfin=well  
> Je ne sais pas=i do not know


	3. no matter who can see

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lots of discussions happen.

When Juno woke up next, it was as if she only blinked. One second, she was surrounded by the Overwatch military, struggling to contain her, and the next moment she was horizontal on her bed in her cell, head throbbing.

She groaned, reaching a hand up to her head, but found herself cuffed, her motions restricted. She blinked, trying to make sense of what happened, before rattling came from the other side of the door, before the man with the hat walked in. 

She slowly rose, seeing that he was holding something through squinted eyes. A plate of food, it seemed. 

"Mornin'" He said, setting the food down before her and sitting on a chair on the opposite side of the room. 

She did not respond.

"Commander wanted me to bring ya some food." He supplied, gesturing to the plastic tray before him. "'Says ya haven't eaten in a while."

From this distance, the food did not look appetizing. It never did anymore. 

Sensing her hesitation, he speaks."It's not poisoned or anythin'-case you're wondering."

"I didn't think it was." She mumbled.

He simply chuckled, before leaning back in his chair, kicking his feet up on the table, and pulling out a cigar, which he then promptly lit and began to huff. His first smoke made the room smell of tobacco.

Juno had yet to touch her food. "Do they allow you to smoke in prisons?" She asked dryly.

"Nah."

Great, she thought to herself. Regardless, his attitude was somewhat welcoming in a place like Overwatch. Everyone else she was sure had gone through some kind of military or intelligence based training. As a result, a sour mood and stick up the ass. But, he seemed more relaxed, and more willing to get close to her. It strangely calmed her down, but the closeness did worry her a bit.

"Y'know, you really shocked the guards yesterday. Ana had to sedate you." He mentioned, taking a draw. 

Her heart nearly stopped. "Ana? Ana Amari?" 

His lip curled. "Yes ma'am."

She groaned and looked down into her lap. That was embarrassing. Growing up, Juno like many others, could owe a lot of their freedom to Overwatch and their poster boys. Juno never put much thought into it, growing up in the Italian countryside meant that there were days, or even weeks without internet or news, so she had little knowledge regarding the war, even with her own father in it.

But, Ana Amari was someone she respected, and even admired. She remembered the poster in her room, of Amari standing proudly with an erected flag, dressed in the Overwatch blue. She remembered her childhood friends showing her a video of Amari, perched above an omnic war zone, effortlessly picking off omnics before they could do harm.

Juno had greatly admired her. Yet, when she mentioned her to her mother, things quickly went sour. Her mother never wanted her to touch a gun, or ever really be in the presence of guns. And after her father died, they never had that discussion again. 

Ana Amari, the master marksman, was spending her time shooting tranquilizers into people like her.

God, she couldn't stand herself.

"I don't know what I even did wrong." She confessed. 

He took his boots off the table. "You don't? I was sure you were gonna tear into one of those guards."

She flinched. Well yes, besides the resisting thing.

"Ah, touchy subject-I get it." He sighed, rolling the cigar between his fingers. He tapped the end of it, watching as the ash fell onto the table. Then he took another drag. A few seconds passed between the two. He spoke slowly and enunciated his words clearly. "But, since you mentioned, you said Antonio Bartalotti, which in case you haven't noticed, isn't a good word 'round these parts."

Her head shot up. Her eyes widened as she looked at the man before her, and she imagined he held a smug look on his face. Like he knew exactly what she was thinking.

\---

Waiting. Her foot tapped on the floor. The urge to bite her nails came, but she prevented herself from destroying the manicure she got earlier that week. Her stomach swam while Giovani spoke in front of the rally beyond the curtain, her mind echoing his words like a script. He was good, she thought as the crowd cheered. But for why? What made him so likeable, admired, and respected? She thought about him introducing himself on her first day of Congress. What was it?

"Ah, Ms. Markus!" A voice spoke from her right. She jolted and looked up, finding the familiar face of Antonio Bartalotti.

She had attended several dinners after the first one with Giovani, and in that time had began to grow closer to Bartalotti. And, what Italian didn't like fine wine and food? Juno wouldn’t say that one of the main reasons for her returning presence was food, but it certainly wasn't the mail dominated dinners with so much testosterone she could choke. 

Regardless, she grew closer to her fellow representatives. It was like she was finally running with the big dogs.

Except, last night.

Usually she would leave a bit earlier than the others, citing some sort of excuse so she could get home, too exhausted by human interaction to deal with several semi-drunk men. Last night, she did not do that. She was enjoying herself, surrounded by soft music. The lights were a warm yellow, and for the first time in a while, she was content.

She sat sipping her wine. It wasn't until Giovani had brought up a briefcase on the table and was rolling through the pad code on the side, she realized something was up.

"What's going on?" Juno asked, sitting straighter, looking around. No one made eye contact, except for Bartalotti.

"Ah, is anyone gonna let her in on this, boys?" Bartalotti asked the others, causing them to all chuckle together, almost awkwardly, like a script they had to follow for Bartalotti’s pleasure. Her ears burned red.

Giovani gripped her upper thigh, bringing her attention to him. She moved away from his touch, his hand warm on her skin, but he kept his grip on her leg. It brought her unease. Touching your coworker like this was surely unprofessional, right? A shudder ran up her spine, followed by a gross feeling in her stomach.

He forced her to look at him. "Whatever happens here tonight says here, okay?"

Juno furrowed her brows. "What?" She whispered.

"Just agree to it!" He said, a little gruffer, leaning in, grip tightening. A threat. "Or you can go home."

She couldn't stop herself from saying "okay". It slipped out her lips like water through a crack. Barely whispered. Why was she so eager to agree to him? Her curiosity overwhelmed her ability to make coherent choices. The moment it went out her mouth she knew her life was surely about to take a dramatic change. 

If she said no, what would’ve happened then? Would she have gone home, blissfully ignorant of the dealings that went on? No, she knew she was too smart to blindly forget everything. It would plague her mind for months, wondering what really happened. 

"Good." Bartalotti said, flipping open the case. Inside where stacks of bills, pushed together so tightly that she was sure she wouldn’t be able to squeeze a coin between them. Her eyes widened.

"Listen here, and listen once, Ms. Russo. I have a lot of power." Bartalotti said, leaning back. The guards behind him shifted. "And so does the Senate. We help each other." He smiled, gesturing to the case. “This is only a small amount of what I offer.”

"Isn't this illegal?" She asked quietly.

"Not if anyone finds out." Giovani said, nudging her side. "And they won't, right Juno?" He said, a threat lying behind his clean, white teeth. 

She swallowed.

"It wont."

Here she was, a day later at an important rally held by the Senate. She could barely make eye contact with any of them, instead choosing to keep her head down and out of the way. Did she tell someone?

She wasn’t sure how much power Bartalotti really had, but he seemed like a dangerous man. Who knows the consequences that would come with saying something. 

And for some reason, Antonio Bartalotti wanted something to do with her, before her speech.

"I wish you good luck out there! D'Angelo said it was a tough crowd out there." He mentioned, sitting on the bench next to her. She thought about the cheers she heard with Giovani. Was it really?

He then placed his hand in her shoulder, which wouldn't have been threatening if it wasn't for the way his fingers dug into her, and the way he forced her to look at him. "Remember last night?" He spoke. His canines were sharp. Like wolf and sheep. 

"Y-yes." She trembled.

His grip tightened. "I asked, do you remember last night?"

She connected the dots. He didn't want her talking about this. "What happened last night?" She asked, swallowing thickly, ignoring the way she began to tremble.

His grip relented. "Good. Oh look, Senator Russo is ending his speech now." He looked at her, smiling, as if nothing happened prior. "Buona fortuna!"

And, then he was gone, footsteps clicking until she no longer heard. The loud cheering outside drowned everything out. He terrified her. Absolutely and utterly. She stared, watching him go, even with Lisa urging her up and to the stage, where she would meet Giovani at the mic. 

“Is everything alright, Senator?” Lisa asked, going to open the curtain for her. 

Juno glanced down the hallway he had disappeared down. “...Yeah.”

Then Lisa smiled that innocent smile and threw open the curtain, exposing her to thousands of people.

It was easy to say that her speech was bad. Straight up. As she stood in front of the crowd, her throat went dry and her legs began to tremble. What was she meant to say again? All she could think about was Bartalotti and his grip, searing his finger prints on her skin. His teeth, sharp like a wolfs. His gaze, predatory. There was something terrifying about him.

Thousands of eyes, staring at her. 

What was wrong with her?

Giovani shot her a look of concern, before nudging her away from the mic, and taking control of the situation. He cracked a joke that she barely heard. 

She fucked up.

\---

"Bartalotti…" She breathes. 

"Yep, that's the one." The man before her shrugs. "The real question is how in the hell you know him."

"They'll kill me if I tell you." She scoffs, looking away. "I'm already as good as dead, buttero."

He rolled his shoulders back. "Uh huh, and tell me why. Because, from my viewpoint, it looks like you killed someone, and Antonio Bartalotti seems to be right in the middle of all this."

She nearly laughed, more out of exasperation than anything else. "Why? You’re really asking me why?" She wanted to tear her hair out. "It's Antonio Bartalotti!" Enough said.

He grit his teeth and leaned forward. "Look, I'm gonna make this real sweet and quick. You need to be honest with me. What. The. Hell. Is going on?"

"They'll kill me if any of them know what I said." She mumbled again, subconsciously backing up and away from him.

"Who's they?" He asked, fiercer.

Juno shrugged, hunching forward a little bit. No answer.

"Have it your way." He hummed non committedly, shoving himself away from the table and standing abruptly. "Believe it or not, some people want to help you." 

She slowly looked up, glaring. “I don’t need help.”

“Tell that to your prison cell, ma’am.” He mumbled, walking out the door.

She didn't recognize anyone the day after when they came to get her for the second time. Instead four people, dressed like the guards before, shackled both her feet and arms and practically dragged her across the facility, where she met Mr. Lacroix. She didn't know what happened to Dr. Nguyen. She didn’t think too hard about it.

He was nice. He intimidated her less than Dr. Nguyen did. An intelligence sat behind his eyes.

"I'd like to ask some questions, Miss Markus." That term again. Miss Markus. Only Bartalotti and Giovani called her that. She shuddered. His eyebrow quirked and he seemed to take note of that.

"That's all you guys seem to do. Ask me questions." She huffed. She was still chained to the table-like last time.

He chuckled. "Well, yes." He brought forth some pages on his holopad, before speaking again. "Though, I'd like it if it didn't go like last time."

She frowned, turning a shade of red. Shame. Like a child. Like last time. When she got tranquilized.

He interrupted her internal shame. "How are you doing today, mademoiselle Markus?"

"My wrists hurt." She said. Not exactly lying, but not exactly feeling. What? Was she just gonna tell him about her every waking thought? Because there was a lot more in her mind than she wanted to unpack right now.

He didn't write anything down. "From the handcuffs?"

She nodded.

"I'll see if there's anything I can do to help that. Unfortunately, you're kind of a wild card-the joker of a deck, you see?" He offered. "And its protocol."

"That man with the hat told me the same thing." She mumbled. "That it's protocol."

"Ah, McCree you mean?" He asked, seeming surprised. 

She shrugged.

"Do you like McCree?"

She shrugged.

He sighed and adjusted himself, before speaking again. "You know, I'm going to let you in on a little secret-McCree was once a prisoner here as well."

Juno raised an eyebrow. "You guys hire felons?”

“He was a special case.”

“I-I feel like you shouldn't be telling me this."

"Of course not." He laughed. "But trust is from both sides, is it not?"

"I suppose."

He wrote a few notes on his holopad.

Lacroix changed the subject. "What was Russo to you?"

She felt bile begin to raise. "A co-worker."

"Anything more, or less?"

"Dead." 

He wrote something down.

He fiddles with his stylus for a moment. "Was it your own decision to kill him?” 

“Yes.”

"Have you ever thought about killing anyone else?"

"No."

Something written down. Her leg twitches. It felt like a standoff. It was no longer the friendly man like before. This was a man who worked for Overwatch. Intelligent. Trying to crack her open like an egg.

"So, what made Senator Giovani Russo so special?"

"You know how they spoke about him." She growled. "Worshipped. Praised. But beneath his rotting skin all he was was a bastard. I hated him."

Something written down.

"Why?"

"You guys keep asking me why, but never why not. Why not kill someone who tortured me relentlessly? Destroyed my career." She grit her teeth so hard she was afraid her teeth may crack. 

"And why's that?" 

"Stop asking me why!" She snapped, taking a deep breath and shakily letting it out. She began to tear up again and this time the tears felt like staying. She threw her head back and groaned. She wanted to go back to her cell now. Away from this. Away from her thoughts.

The cloud began to grow in her mind.

"How are you feeling now, mademoiselle?"

"Like shit!" She spit. 

\---

“Well, she didn’t get tranquilized like last time.” McCree offered, as if that was anything to go by.

Lacroix nodded. “Well, yes. But she is also very unwilling to give us any information, but I do not personally think she’s part of Talon.”

Reyes raised an eyebrow. “Any why’s that? We hardly got 30 minutes of footage and each one ended in an argument!”

“She’s very clearly traumatized, Gabriel.” Lacroix said, almost sympathetically. “She’s also a horrible, horrible liar.”

McCree scoffed. “A politician that's bad at lying? Historically, not true.”

"You didn't ask her if she was Talon, how do you know if she is or isn't?" Ana mentioned.

"Any Talon operative would love to be in Overwatch's cages. To be in the heart of the enemy is exactly what they would want." Lacroix explained.

"She seems like she wants to be here, though." Gabriel said, leaning up against Morrison's desk, crossing his arms over the front of himself. "When McCree and I got her the other day, she basically asked to be put in cuffs."

McCree took a draw from his cigar. "You're reading too much into this, Gabe." Gabriel looked like he wanted to strangle the boy.

Lacroix drew attention away from that. "She's punishing herself. I don't think she regrets what she did to the Senator, but do I think she thinks she belongs somewhere bad." Lacroix offered, sending a disapproving look to the cigar in McCree's hand. Gérard had just had a discussion with him about no smoking in the building. "Just my hypothesis."

"What if she's just a crazy good actor?" McCree asked.

"We were recording her vitals the entire time. No signs of lying-at least, according to the polygraphs and Dr. Nguyen."

"You know how easy it is to get around those." Reyes said.

Then, finally Strike Commander Morrison speaks up. "And if she's not Talon, what then?"

All eyes turn to him. "What do you mean?" Ana asks.

"She's still guilty of murder. She has the potential to do the same harm to him to us.” He said, running a hand across his jaw, clearly deep in thought.

“We kill everyday, Commander.” McCree said, blowing out smoke. “What makes us so different from her?”

Morrison opened his mouth to speak, but Lacroix beat him to it. “I think she’d be useful for information, quoi.” 

“Ever the opportunist.” Gabriel muttered.

He shrugged, uncaring. “She has knowledge.” He put simply.

“And what if that backfires?” Morrison asks. 

“I promise you-it wont.”


End file.
